Press release

Messein, 17 November 2023.

Yesterday afternoon, on Thursday, November 16th, Aloxe inaugurated its new recycled PET plastic manufacturing plant in Messein (Meurthe-et-Moselle), in the presence of Julien Le Goff, Deputy Prefect, Secretary-General of Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefecture, Dominique Potier, MP for Meurthe-et-Moselle, Philippe Bolo, MP for Maine-et-Loire and an expert in this field, Audrey Bardot, VP of Meurthe-et-Moselle Departmental Council, Filipe Pinho, Chairman of the Moselle-Madon Federation of Municipalities, and Daniel Lagrange, Mayor of Messein. Aloxe’s €25 million investment in this new plant provides a practical, tried-and-tested technological solution that responds immediately to the major challenges of reusing and recycling single-use foodgrade plastic bottles and, more broadly to the environmental transition in France and Europe. In a mere two years, Aloxe has consolidated and accelerated its industrial development in France by opening the largest recycled PET manufacturing plant in the country, increasing its production capacity from 12.5 kt to 50 kt. In 2024, Aloxe will be independent leader in Recycled PET in Europe, with a 120kt capacity in France, Poland and Italy.

The new Messein plant, the largest recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production facility in France

Built on an old brownfield land, the new Messein site is gradually increasing its capacity, with two new EREMA VACUNITE production lines in operation since September 2023. The old lines from its existing Vézelise facility will be moved to the Messein plant in December 2023, increasing Aloxe's polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling capacity in France from 12.5 kt to 50 kt a year.

The project required an investment of €25 million and the creation of 30 new full-time jobs, as of 2023. The entire workforce at the Vézelise plant (15 km from Messein) was offered the opportunity to transfer to the new factory. This is actively helping to boost employment in the Saintois region, and to re-industrialise the Grand Est region and France in the ecological transition growth industry.

Recycling PET, the only plastic enabling a circular economy for food packaging.

Increasing Aloxe's production capacity in France is a major leap forward, given Europe's current production shortfall in recycled PET (rPET). It will help offset the fact that supply is still insufficient to meet the growing demand from food and cosmetics packaging manufacturers. Currently, installed production capacity in Europe stands at 850 kt of food-grade rPET, with demand expected to reach 1.3 million tonnes by 2025.

This increased production capacity will contribute to meeting ambitious French and European targets for a circular economy of single-use plastics used in packaging. Focusing on plastic food-grade bottles, the European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and the decrees implementing France's AGEC law stipulate that, from 2025, PET bottles must contain at least 25% rPET (and 30% from 2030 onwards).

Considering the urgent environmental situation, PET and its recycled version represent a sustainable food packaging solution. In its rigid form (trays, bottles, etc.), PET is currently the only plastic that can be nearinfinitely recycled, using controlled mechanical recycling processes that are economically viable and use little energy – the production of recycled PET emits 67% less CO2-equivalent emissions than virgin PET. To date, only 17% of the tonnage of PET bottles on the European market goes back into manufacturing PET bottles.

Aloxe sets its sights on becoming the leading independent producer of recycled PET plastic in Europe by 2024

Founded just two years ago, in 2021, by Clément Lefebvre and Arnaud Piroëlle, experts in recycling and industry respectively, Aloxe is pursuing and ramping up its industrial development to become the independent leader in recycled PET in Europe in 2024 by 2024. The company will have seven production sites in Europe by 2025, with 300 employees and a 220 million euros turnover. In France, Aloxe will have invested €25 million in 2023 in its Messein plant, which will replace the existing plant in Vézelise (15 km away). Aloxe also has plants in Italy (Presenzano) and Poland (Gdynia and Wąbrzeźno) and aims to continue expanding its operations with state-of-the-art facilities to supply and decarbonise local markets as much as possible by delivering reliable, standardised high-quality plastics. Aloxe currently employs 180 people and has a turnover of €35 million.

Media contacts
Fabienne Rochereau, Marketing and Communication Director, Aloxe
+33 (0)6 76 34 76 35 | fabienne.rochereau@aloxe.one
Léa Mazuy for Aloxe
+33 (0) 7 50 67 31 78 | lea@pergamon.fr
Clothilde Mbock Mbock for Aloxe
+33 (0)6 70 13 54 45 | clothilde@pergamon.fr

About Aloxe
Aloxe is a European specialist in recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and a manufacturer of high-quality recycled plastic raw materials for beverage, food and cosmetics packaging. Founded in 2021 by Clément Lefebvre and Arnaud
Piroëlle, Aloxe supplies the fast-growing sustainable packaging market. With four plants in Italy, Poland and France and a production capacity of 120 kt, Aloxe aims to become Europe's leading independent manufacturer of recycled PET plastic by 2024.

This project was funded by the French State as part France 2030, operated by ADEME, and funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU